Pest removal may be an option for those that worry about pests. We supply untreated cones, and leave it up to you. We feel that it is not neccessary for Ponderosa pine cones, because they are open. I would recomment it for other cones, like Douglas firs, because they are so dense and insects can hide in them. In any case here are the two commonly used methods:

Poison Free Pest Removal with Heat

Instruction:Place the pine cones onto a baking sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 45 minutes. This is the fastes way, but it will dry out the cones a little.

Pest Removal with Bleach

You’ll need:

Pine Cones

Plastic gloves

Bleach

Large Bucket

Newspaper

Instruction:Use gloves any time bleach is involved!Mix one cup of bleach with one gallon of water in a 5 gallon bucket. Submerge pine cones in the bucket. Leave them in this solution for 8 hours to get kill any pests.Lay out the newspaper and let them dry for 1-2 weeks.

DON'T DRY BLEACHED CONES IN THE OVEN!

It is not a good idea to shorten the drying time in the oven. The Fumes are not healthy. Plus, it smells bad!Drying cones, after bleach usage, will ruin the them by making them brittle and flakey.

Just down the road Topsy reservoir with Mount McLaughlin in the background.